Closing Another Chapter

I knew that May 29, 2009 was going to come one way or another.  But when I started this journey 4 years ago, I never imaged that it would a.) take me this long to finish and b.) finish the way I finished. I never imagined how hard it was going to be… all the late nights of studying and even on the weekends. I had to dedicate the weekends to studying, and while I tried to have fun here and there, I was never completely happy because I always had school in the back of my mind- what hw was due, if I was going to have a quiz, when the midterms were coming, how good/bad i was doing in my classes, how I was going to make it through the end of the semester (let alone the program), etc.

But, if it wasn’t school that was on my mind, it was work- what deadlines were coming up, which spacecraft was going to get launched, how to prepare for it, how I was going to finish everything, etc. I did 2 years of a modified work schedule coming in by 6am on days I had to go to school and staying later on the days I didn’t go to school.
All in all, I’m am so thankful that I am done.

Not alot of my cousin could make it to the graduation, but that was okay. Besides, commencement was on a friday afternoon at 1pm. People had to work, so of course I understood.

krista, jorge & derek

for some weird reason, this is my favorite picture from the bunch (to date). I don’t know why… i guess it really captures my true feelings as I saw my family cheering me on. The people captured in the photo with me are super smarties. Krista has a 4.0 graduate GPA, derek is up there and will be going to UC Merced to continue on with the Ph.d program, and Jorge… This guy finished all his required classes in one year! He’ll be heading to NY to continue with a Ph.d program, too.

Here’s Paulette and Michelle, 2 of my 3 best friends. And there’s a little gray silouhette of Princess. We all wished she could be there, but she was being a mom to new born, lucas. We missed ya, gal! But, we love ya!

I’m going to update my blog again with some more cool photos, like a photo of my cap, and some photos with my family. I think Kuya Noel has them on his camera.